I Solemnly Swear
by Amaranth O'Riley
Summary: Because, before one dies, one must first live. This is the story of the lives of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. This is the story of the Marauders.
1. It Begins

**A/N:** Slight spoilers for Deathly Hallows, but it won't be anything that could ruin the plot.

**I Solemnly Swear**

**I**

**_:I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good:_**

_Out of all the students Hogwarts had ever seen, there were four that were, by far, the most entertaining:_ The Marauders. _James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew. Four boys that had everything going for them. _

_James Potter, the leader, was top in all of his classes without even trying. His teachers marveled at the fact that he could nap through all his classes and still pass with flying colors. People wondered what he'd be like if he actually tried, if he actually studied. They figured he'd be the best student Hogwarts ever had. Teachers loved him because of his brains, but students loved him because he was _James_, because he had led the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory every year since he had made the team, because he always found a way to brighten a day, because he was funny and athletic and cool. He was the unofficial "President/Leader/Ruler" of Gryffindor house._

_Sirius Black, James very best friend and second-in-command, wasn't quite as smart as James, though he still received high marks. Any party that ever took place in Gryffindor house was organized by Sirius Black. He flaunted the fact that he was the only Black in seven hundred years to be sorted into Gryffindor, and the rest of his house loved him for it. Sirius had been unbelievably Gryffindor-like, brave and loyal, and, like James, had a knack for getting in trouble. Sirius had been the first Hogwarts student, ever, to get so many detentions that he served more than three at once._

_Remus Lupin, the more serious one of the group, was the one that everyone felt comfortable talking to. When people felt intimidated talking to James or Sirius, they came to Remus, who assured them that, no matter how scary his two friends looked, they were really quite kind. Remus was the one that had to study to keep his grades up, and was always either second or third best in his class. He was the one that kept a level head, the one that kept the two leaders out of trouble, the one to make sure that they wouldn't do anything terribly stupid._

_Peter Pettigrew, slower than the other three, was the odd one out. Nobody could understand why the other three put up with him, why they didn't ignore him and kick him out of the group. Peter was the one who couldn't lie, the reason they got caught and punished for any rule-breaking. But Peter was unusually nice, for someone who people often disliked, and he tended to ignore (or maybe not notice) when he was made fun of. James, Sirius, and Remus defended him fiercely, and nobody ever asked why. He stuck close to his friends for all his seven years at Hogwarts, and nobody doubted that he would make his mark on the world, simply because he was friends with the other three._

_Those four boys had everything going for them. They were going somewhere. And then, one by one, in the most cruel, unfair ways, they were gone. Vanished from the face of the earth. Soon people would forget about them. Soon they would not be written about in history books, as they should have been, would have been. It was horribly unfair, how the four people that could've done anything they wanted were ripped from the world, taken from those who loved them, those that they loved._

_But before they disappeared, they must first have grown up. This is the story of four amazing wizards, of four friends that stuck together through thick and thin, of four people that surely would have lived forever, had they wanted to. This is the story of the Marauders._

Eleven-year-old James Potter was very upset. And not for the normal reasons of an eleven-year-old. He hadn't run out of candy, nor had his parents taken away his broomstick. Rather, James Potter had just recently discovered that he couldn't get whatever he wanted. James Potter had just been ordered to do something he had never imagined he would ever have to do. James Potter had just been ordered to clean his room.

In all his eleven years, James Potter had never (ever ever ever!) had to tidy up his bedroom. (Not because they had house elves to do it; Twinkle and Slinky flat-out refused to step foot in his messy bedroom, and Mrs. Potter supported their decision whole-heartedly.) His parents just didn't _care, _so long as he remembered to keep his door closed when they had company over.

But now, on this beautiful Saturday, on this wonderfully gorgeous day that should be spent running around outside, James Potter was going to be cleaning his room. And not just in a "pick-up-your-things" way, no, this was a full-fledged "this-room-must-be-completely-spotless-by-tonight-or-else" way. All because of that stupid party!

Every year since James could remember, his parents had thrown a huge "Ball-slash-dinner party" at the end of the summer. It was a kind of Hogwarts first meeting; all the Hogwarts students and parents attended, and it was widely considered one of the best parties of the year.

But James didn't like parties much. This would be his first time as an actual host. For the past ten years, he had weaseled out of it by saying that he wasn't _technically _a student yet, and couldn't _technically _be forced to attend. His parents hadn't had a rebuttal, and he found himself, every year, hiding at the top of the staircase and silently laughing at the younger students, who looked so awkward in their fancy party clothes. And now he would be one of them, one of the people he had made fun of every year of his life. How ironic.

What did this party have to do with James Potter having a clean room, you might ask? According to Mrs. Potter, the eleven- and twelve-year-old children got bored easily, and this year might actually have a way to entertain themselves: By hanging out in James's room.

And so as the hours left until the party ticked by, James begrudgingly picked up his month-old laundry and various Quidditch magazines. He got bored of this within five minutes, and came up with a wonderful idea. He peeked his head out the door slyly, and closed and locked the door as quietly as he possible could. James crawled under his bed and finally came up with a long, thin box. He opened it carefully, and pulled out the wand within.

Nobody was supposed to know, but Mr. and Mrs. Potter had taken James to Ollivander's shop early, and he was now the first of all the first-years to own a wand. He waved it around in the air, testing its powers, and a shimmer of red and gold sparkles dusted the air.

"Now, what did mum say?" He wondered aloud, thinking back to his mother's spell. "Oh, yeah! Scourgify!

And in the blink of an eye, James Potter's room was completely spotless. Not a single dust bunny lay on the floor, and his Quidditch magazines now lay, neatly stacked, at the foot of his bed. He grinned triumphantly and hid the wand under his bed again. He would've bet a million galleons that no other first year could do _that. _

His sense of accomplishment was short-lived, however, as he heard the sharp cry of his mum downstairs. He sighed, kicked at the floor, and left to do whatever chore was in store for him now.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

**A/N: **I've been planning on starting a Marauder story for a while now, and I finally did! I'm quite proud of myself, honestly. Please review? I'll love you for ever…


	2. Explosions

**A/N:** I got a laptop for my 15th birthday, so I'll probably be writing new chapters/stories nearly every day. (As long as my eight-hour a day drumline practice doesn't kill me…) I might not be able to update every day until I get internet connection, but updates should be pretty frequent. That's all!!

**I Solemnly Swear**

**II**

Sirius Black was bored. _This_ was why he hated parties. The only other kids that attended were either stuffed-up snobs, or hung out with their parents the whole night. What was the point of even going if you just stayed close to your family?

He glared at his parents beneath his jet-black hair and sighed.

"Come along, son," his dad said suddenly.

Sirius sighed again, louder, and his mother turned and pinched his arm.

"You are a pure-blood, Sirius, act like one and be polite."

Sirius muffled a chuckle and followed his parents. _Polite? _Since when were pure-bloods like his parents _polite_?

They led him over to the center of the room, where two nice-looking adults were greeting people heartedly.

_These must be the Potters! _Sirius's parents had spoken of the Potter family nearly every day since he could remember. Apparently, they were a well-known and respected family. Supposedly, the Potters could trace their roots all the way back to Merlin himself, passing, along the way, a dozen or so other famous witches and wizards; it was rumored that they were related to one, or even two, of the Hogwarts founders. But 'sadly', the Potters were blood traitors. They befriended half-bloods and mudbloods, and the Blacks hated them. But, as his mother would say, one must keep up appearances.

"Dorea! Charlus! It's great to see you again!"

Sirius mock-gagged behind his mother's back as the adults exchanged greetings. He stopped and turned when he heard a soft chuckle.

A boy, about his age, with round glasses and extraordinarly messy hair stood only a few feet away, slightly behind Dorea Potter.

"Ah, you must be James!" Mrs. Black exclaimed, with faux happiness, "We've heard so much about you, showing so much potential even before Hogwarts, aren't you?"

James Potter bowed to Mrs. Black and made a reply, but Sirius didn't hear what he said.

Great. One more stuck-up brat to add to his growing list.

"This is our son, Sirius, he'll be going to Hogwarts next year, too," Mrs. Black explained, dragging Sirius forward.

James opened his mouth, but was cut off by a loud explosion.

All six turned, searching for the source of the noise.

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Black exclaimed sarcastically, "Eileen Prince-Snape seems to be simply covered in champagne..."

Charlus Potter turned to his son, face red with anger.

"James," he muttered, loud enough for all three Blacks to hear, "Did you, by any chance, slip explosives into the champagne?"

James shrugged. "I might've, I don't really remember."

Mrs. Black shook her head and clicked her tongue. "It is so difficult to get children to listen, isn't it? Lucky for me Sirius is so very well-behaved..."

Mr. Potter ignored her. "James Tiberius Potter, I want you to go to your room_, now_."

James nodded and dissappeared in the crowd.

"I'm sorry, will you excuse me?" Mrs. Potter nodded towards the Blacks and pulled her husband towards a different couple.

Mrs. Black tsked and grinned. "Let's go meet some others, shall we Sirius?"

"Actually, mum, I _really_ need to use the restroom. I'll come find you in a minute, alright?"

His mother looked shocked. "But _Sirius_-"

"Thanks, mum!"

Sirius rushed off and headed upstairs. He opened every door in the hallway, passing four guest rooms, three bathrooms, a huge room that seemed to lead outside, a second kitchen, another set of stairs, a large room with two pianos and dozens of mirrors, and finally, inside the second-to-last door on the right, James Tiberius Potter, who had already changed into jeans and a white t-shirt. He looked up, saw Sirius, and continued reading a Quidditch magazine.

"Hey," Sirius breathed, panting from running through the house.

"So my mum's sending people up anyways? I thought I'd have gotten into enough trouble that she'd leave me alone for the rest of the night?" James didn't even look up from the magazine.

"Sending people up? No, I followed you after the explosion. Figured you were the only person worth talking to after that."

"Brilliant, wasn't it?" James asked, grinning and finally looking up, "I told mum I didn't want to host a formal party, so I just figured I'd get myself grounded for the night."

"Yeah, too bad I hadn't thought of that. Mum thinks I'm looking for the loo right now..."

"Hungry?"

Sirius was flustered for a moment. "Huh?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah kinda, why?"

"'Cause I'm bloody starving...Twinkle!"

There was a loud pop, and a house-elf appeared at the foot of James's bed.

"What can Twinkle do for young master?" It asked, bowing deeply.

"For the last time, Twink, you can call me James."

"What can Twinkle do for J-J-James?"

"Can you bring us up some food?"

"What would Master James and the Black boy want?"

"Whatever's in the kitchen, I guess."

Twinkle nodded, bowed again, and dissappeared.

Sirius looked at the spot where Twinkle had been moments before.

"You're actually nice to your house elves?"

James looked startled. "Yeah...I mean, they always kinda acted like people, so why not treat 'em like people, too?"

Sirius sat against the wall and loosened his tie.

"I guess...Kreacher, that's our house elf, is a total head case. Gets on my nerves, he does."

"Yeah, I guess-food!"

A dozen plates had appeared on a table near the bed. Sirius and James jumped up and dug in.

"So what house d'ya think you'll be in?" James asked, swallowing a mouthful of chocolate cake.

Sirius shrugged. "Everyone in my family has been in Slytherin," James shuddered here, "But I'd much rather be in Gryffindor, maybe Ravenclaw."

James nodded. "I'll probably be in Gryffindor, my dad was, and my granddad. And my great-granddad. My mum was in Ravenclaw, though, so I

guess that's a possibility." He scooped up a handful of chips.

There was a knock on the door.

"'Ome in!" James called, mouth stuffed with food.

A slightly chubby, timid-looking kid opened the door.

"Sorry," he said, turning red, "I was looking for the loo..."

James nodded. "End oar oo re ret!"

The boy scrunched his eyebrows. "Scuse me?"

Sirius laughed. "I think he said, 'second door to the left'," he explained.

The boy nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait!" James swallowed.

The boy looked scared. "Uh, yeah?"

"What's your name?"

"P-Peter P-Pettigrew."

"Well come back when you're done in the loo, Peter Pettigrew."

The boy grinned. "Sure!"

Once he had left, Sirius turned to James.

"What was that about?"

James shrugged. "Well I doubt he's having fun down there anyways, so why not?"

-.-

"So, really, it was just a creative placement of Fillibuster's Fireworks!" James said an hour later.

"Fillibusters?" Peter asked, "But I though they weren't available to the public yet?"

James shook his head. "They're not. But I managed to get my hands on next month's catalogue, and ordered it in the name of Potter's Pranks. I guess they figured it was some new store, or something, and I bought two dozen packages, so it wasn't really suspicious, or anything."

Sirius grinned. "That's bloody brilliant. You gonna do stuff like that at Hogwarts, too?"

James grinned, too, and Sirius noticed that he had a very strange grin, indeed: The left side went up higher than the right, giving his entire face the illusion of lop-sidedness.

"Probably. If I feel like it. I broke my jaw, by the way."

Sirius and Peter frowned. "What?"

"You guys were wondering why I smile funny, weren't you?"

Peter flushed, and Sirius made a noncommital grunting noise.

"It's 'cause I cracked my jaw a few years back. It never healed properly, so I can't smile with the right side of my face. It's funny-looking, I know."

"Actually, it kinda looks like you're about to do something you shouldn't," Sirius said, "Like, I don't know, cause a champagne explosion?"

James turned to the mirror and smiled again.

"Cool."

They were interrupted, yet again, by a timid knocking on the door.

"Come in!" The three of them shouted.

A taller, mousy-haired boy stuck his head through the door a crack.

"Is one of you James Potter?" He asked, "Your mum wants you downstairs for something."

James groaned. "Damn. I thought I had gotten out of the party with that trick." He stood up.

Sirius and Peter stood, also.

"We'll come, too. See how much _fun_ you have," Sirius said, attempting to imitate James's lopsided grin.

James stared at him for a moment. "Don't do that again, Black, it makes you look like a complete idiot."

Peter giggled and followed the other two out the door.

"So who're you?" Sirius asked the tall boy.

"Remus, Remus Lupin."

"I'm Sirius Black, this is Peter Pettigrew, and the four-eyes is James."

"Watch it!"

"Y'know I was kidding, Potter!"

The second the four had reached the bottom landing, Mrs. Potter rushed over.

"Thank you so much, Remus!" She turned to James, "Now I want you to apologize to Mrs. Prince-Snape at once!"

James turned to the other three. "One thing I've learned with my parents being so social, is that anybody with a hyphenated name is _not_ pleasant."

The other three exchanged looks and grinned. All four followed Mrs. Potter, who stopped in front of a hooked-nosed woman, a younger, hooked-nosed boy, and a pretty red-haired girl.

"James!"

James turned to the woman. "I'm truly, deeply sorry that your champagne exploded on you. It was an accident, I swear, and nothing like it will ever happen again."

Mrs. Prince-Snape nodded curtly and turned to speak to a woman standing next to her.

"Boys, this is Severus Snape and Lily Evans, they'll be attending Hogwarts with you four this year. Lily's here with the Snapes. Her parents are muggles," Mrs. Potter introduced the four.

Another explosion shook the floor, and Mrs. Potter closed her eyes.

"James-"

"I swear, mum, I had nothing to do with that one!"

Severus Snape and Lily Evans shared a look that was somewhere between confusion and shock.

"James Tiberius Potter, don't you dare think for one moment that I would believe your lies!"

"But mum!"

"James, just don't."

She walked away, leaving James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Severus, and Lily standing around awkwardly.

"So..." Lily started.

"How d'ya like the party?" Sirius said, holding back laughs.

Lily smiled. "Well that was probably the only interesting that's happened since we got here."

"It'll be the only interesting thing that happens all night, if mum and dad find the rest of the fireworks."

Remus turned to James. "Exactly how many did you hide?"

James opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by yet another explosion.

"**JAMES**!"

"You're purposely ruining your parents party?" Severus drawled, looking at James like he had grown a second head. And a third. And maybe a fourth.

James grinned. "It livens things up a bit, doesn't it?"

Severus frowned. "That's really dumb."

"You're really dumb," Sirius replied. "It's just for fun, it's not like it killed anyone."

Severus opened and closed his mouth.

"You look like a goldfish when you do that," Sirius said thoughtfully.

Severus glared at them and turned on his heel, dissappearing in the crowd.

Lily Evans turned to Sirius. "That was really mean, you know," she said, before turning and following Severus.

Sirius looked at the other three. "What happened? It was just a joke!"

James, Remus, and Peter shrugged.

"What kind of name is 'Severus', anyway? It sounds really weird...like Sneverus...Sniviress...Snivellus..."

James laughed. "Snivellus! It makes him sound like he's a disease!"

Another explosion.

And another.

And yet another.

**"JAMES TIBERIUS POTTER!"**

**-.-**

**A/N: **Please review? In my e-mail inbox, I had like fourteen different people put this on their favorites or alerts, and only like two, three reviews? I wrote eight-and-a-half pages in an hour and a half for you wonderful people...please tell me what you like/dislike about it. I'll give you a cookie...


	3. King's Cross

**I Solemnly Swear**

**III**

The rest of the summer flew by quickly. Before long, the morning of September first dawned bright and cheery, and four young boys, in four different homes, got ready for the first day of the rest of their lives.

Peter Pettigrew reached King's Cross first; his mother had woken him up at six in the morning to get ready, saying that he would surely forget something, and they'd have to make the trip back home multiple times. Sure enough, Peter forgot his cauldron, hat, and robes, and, even though the Pettigrews had left the house at seven, even though the trip only took an hour and a half, the Pettigrew family didn't actually reach the station until ten-fifteen.

At ten-thirty, Remus arrived. His parents held onto his arms tightly as they made their way to Platform 9 3/4. His mother's expression was slightly worried, and she kept glancing around at passerby, as if expecting one of them to jump out and attack them. When Remus spotted Peter, he smiled nervously and walked over to the Pettigrews.

Fifteen minutes later, Sirius walked casually through the barrier, his parents, brother, and three cousins close behind him. Two of the cousins, a sour-faced girl with long blonde hair and a very pretty, but mean-looking dark haired girl, went off to chat with a group of older students. The third, an average-looking girl with a nicer expression, stayed behind Sirius and whispered something into his ear. A shiny "Head Girl" badge was pinned to her robes, and she patted Sirius encouragingly on the back before going off to the front of the train. Sirius's mum squeezed his shoulder, and his dad shook his hand. He turned to Regulus, and they nodded at each other before Sirius, too, disappeared into the crowd.

James didn't arrive until five minutes to eleven. His parents rushed alongside him, red-faced and panting, and James muttered something under his breath about alarm charms. Charlus Potter tossed James's trunk onto the train, and Dorea kissed him on the cheek. James jumped on just as the train began moving, and waved to his parents from the still-open door. He slid the door closed once his parents were out of sight, grabbed his trunk, and set off to look for a compartment.

**-.-**

"Bloody train...compartments all full...should've gotten here earlier..." Remus dragged his trunk through the narrow corridor, peering into jammed compartments. His trunk caught on something and he swore loudly.

"Need any help?" A voice asked. Remus looked up.

"Hey! Sirius, right?"

"The one and only! You seen the others yet?"

"You mean Peter and James?" Sirius nodded.

"Peter should be behind me somewhere, he stopped to buy some sweets. I haven't seen James, though."

"Right here!"

James pulled his trunk behind him as he caught sight of the other two. "Either of you find a compartment yet?"

Remus and Sirius shook their heads.

"Figures."

Just then, Peter stumbled up to them, pulling his trunk with one hand and holding a bag of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavored Beans in the other.

"Any luck?" Remus asked. Peter shook his head.

"There!" Sirius pointed towards an empty compartment.

The four boys grabbed their stuff and crammed through the door, only to realize that the compartment did have one other inhabitant: the red-haired girl they had seen at the Potter's party.

She nodded towards them and turned back to the window, and it almost looked like she had been crying. The boys exchanged looks and shrugged, piling their trunks on the overhead racks and sitting down. They began to talk in whispered, hushed tones, occasionally glancing up at the girl.

"What's her name again?" Sirius muttered.

"Rose?"

"Chrysanthemum?"

"It was Lily. Lily Evans," three boys turned to James, who shrugged.

"What? I listen..."

Sirius snorted.

"...sometimes."

Just then, the compartment door slid open, and the greasy-haired boy from the party slumped into the seat across from Lily. She looked up and said, tightly,

"I don't want to talk to you."

James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter turned away, trying to look as if they weren't paying attention.

"I don't like that kid. He's a Slytherin if I ever saw one." Sirius growled.

"Well what're we gonna do? We can't just tell him to leave," Remus said rationally.

"We could annoy him," James suggested.

_"We're off to Hogwarts!"_

The four looked at the two others, and James grinned.

"Just follow my lead," he said, nodding towards Sirius. Remus and Peter glanced at each other and tried to make themselves as small as possible, not wanting to get in trouble for whatever their companions had up their sleeves.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," the greasy-haired one said, and James nodded to Sirius.

"Slytherin?" Lily asked.

James glanced casually at the two, then back at Sirius.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked Sirius, nodding his direction.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," Sirius said, nodding slightly at James.

"Blimey!" James exclaimed, a bit too loudly, " and I thought you seemed all right!"

Sirius couldn't hold back his grin any longer.

"Maybe I'll break tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got a choice?" Sirius asked, already knowing the answer.

James pretended to swing a sword around. "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!" He exclaimed, "Like my dad."

The greasy-haired boy let out a small noise and James turned to him, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Got a problem with that?" He asked, smirking.

"No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy..."

Sirius immediately retorted: "Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?"

James laughed loudly, and Lily sat up, glaring at James and Sirius.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

James and Sirius made loud 'Oooo!' noises, mocking the girl, and James stuck his leg out in an attempt to trip the boy.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Peter called, bravely, before the compartment door slammed.

"Nice, Pete. Bloody brilliant, James," Sirius grinned, "Getting him all worked up about dear old Slytherin was bound to work."

"How'd you two improvise like that? It's like you both knew what was going on..." Remus glanced at the two.

"We did!" James exclaimed, "Troublemakers minds think alike!"

And for the rest of the trip, the four boys laughed and joked, becoming quick friends, trusting each other completely, as eleven-year-old boys tend to do.

**-.-**

A/N: And the third chapter is now done. I'm so very proud of myself. :).

And, I know that in DH, Harry didn't see Remus or Peter in the compartment. But he did see a 'group of rowdy boys', and I'm assuming that 'group' wasn't meant to mean only two people. Also, keep in mind that Remus aged quickly, so he'd look a bit different, and, since Peter is only eleven, he obviously wouldn't look familiar to Harry. I'm trying to keep this all completely canon, so tell me if I make any mistakes.


	4. The Sorting

**I Solemnly Swear**

**IV**

"Firs' years! Firs' years, this way! Foller me!"

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter looked around tiredly for the person calling for first years. Within seconds, they had spotted the tall, giant-like man. He stood at the edge of a large, black, glassy lake, surrounded by dozens of small boats.

"Whoa," Peter muttered, "He must be ten feet tall!"

"Probably taller," Sirius replied, looking up.

All the first years gathered around the giant, gazing at him in awe.

"Name's Hagrid, Keeper o' Keys an' Grounds. Now, hurry up you lot; four ter a boat, hurry 'long!"

The four friends rushed to be in the same boat. Once all four were seated, the boat started moving, by itself, across the lake. Sirius and James dangled their hands in the water lazily.

"AUGH!" James yelped suddenly and pulled his hand out of the water.

"What?" Sirius asked, slightly amused at James's panic.

"Something just...did you see? It _**grabbed**_ me!"

"Keep yer hands outta the water," Hagrid called out, "Or the Gian' Squid'll pull yer in!"

"Giant...Squid?" Peter asked nervously, "There's a Giant Squid?"

"Oh yeah," Sirius said slowly, "My cousin said something about that!"

Peter shuddered and squeezed closer to the center of the boat.

''Look!'' Someone cried suddenly, "It's Hogwarts!"

Everyone looked up ahead. A huge castle, spanning as far as the eye could see, lay at the opposite edge of the lake. High towers reached up to the night sky; lights shone brightly from every window, and two large oak doors were opened slightly, as if welcoming the new students.

"We're finally here," Remus gasped, "I'm actually at Hogwarts."

"Amazing, isn't it?" James grinned widely, eyes shining as he took in his new home.

Sirius and Peter just nodded mutely, scanning the school. The four jumped out even before the boat stopped, earning a strong glare from Hagrid. They raced towards the door, and were greeted by a strict-looking, brunette woman. Her hair was pulled back tightly, and her robes went up to her chin.

"Welcome, students," she said regally, "to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall. In a few moments, you will be taken into the Great Hall with the rest of the students, where you will be sorted into your Houses. The four Houses are as follows: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

At her last word, Snape straightened up a bit and James glared.

"Please wait here for a few moments."

Professor McGonagall swept through the entryway, leaving the first years alone in the hall.

"Sirius!" A shrill, high pitched voice broke the silence, and Sirius groaned.

"Bellatrix," Sirius said sourly, "I had almost forgotten about you, silly me."

"Look, Sirius, I just want you to know that Auntie Walburga has instructed me to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Like hang around with half-bloods and mudbloods, for instance?"

A few surrounding students gasped at the word 'mudblood'. Bellatrix looked around before turning back to Sirius.

"And, just so you know, any association with Andromeda," she spit out the name as if it were poison, "is forbidden."

Sirius licked his lips. "Well, Bella, I'll have you know that blood means absolutely nothing to me, I probably will do something stupid about twice a day, and Andie is my favorite cousin. Yes, I will be _associating _with her."

"Well!" Bellatrix huffed and turned away.

Professor McGonagall re-entered at that moment.

"We are ready to begin. If you will follow me, please."

James and Sirius pushed each other out of the way jokingly and rushed to be first through the entryway. The older students sat at four long tables, each with a different-colored banner above it. The first years stopped when they reached the fifth table, occupied by about a dozen teachers. A ratted, ancient-looking hat sat on a stool at the front. When all was quiet, a slit near the brim opened, and the hat began to sing:

_It was quite a while ago_

_When I was brought to life;_

_And in the past few centuries_

_This hat has seen much strife._

_Brave Gryffindor, the valiant one,_

_Slytherin, ambitious till the end,_

_Clever Ravenclaw, that witty brain,_

_Fair Hufflepuff, good friend;_

_They founded the best magic school_

_That ever hath exist_

_And students would attend, you see,_

_The four would their magic lend._

_Then these Four Founders,_

_Genius minds,_

_The best ones of their age;_

_Experienced a falling-out_

_A great outbreak of rage._

_Shrewd Slytherin soon left the school,_

_The other three were left alone;_

_And Hogwarts school was naught the same,_

_of which the three would moan._

_The Houses split, the founders fought,_

_And everything had changed,_

_For years and years, discord was much,_

_and no one got along_

_But everything has changed, you see,_

_For today's teachers have shone._

_Today's students must learn now from_

_the Four Founder's mistakes_

_And get along with other folks,_

_for Friendship we must make._

The Hat stopped, and applause echoed throughout the hall. Sirius and James turned to each other and mouthed: 'Friendship we must make?' They chuckled softly, but became serious when McGonagall unfurled a piece of parchment.

"Alcraft, Connor!" A skinny, short boy walked up to the front nervously, sat on the stool, and sat silently as the Hat was placed on his head.

**"Hufflepuff!"**

Cheers erupted from the third table, and Connor Alcraft collapsed gratefully on the bench.

A few more students were called, before:

"Black, Bellatrix!"

Bellatrix sashayed to the front, flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder. The Hat barely touched her head.

**"Slytherin!"**

The fourth table clapped this time, and Sirius looked over sourly as Bellatrix joined Narcissa and smiled at the other Slytherins.

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius walked up to the front and grinned as the Hat covered his eyes.

_Another Black, eh? Most every other Black has been in Slytherin, but you're not like the others now, are you? No, you're definitely not Slytherin. Not Ravenclaw like the girl, either. No, you're intelligent, but not Ravenclaw. Not Hufflepuff, either, so I guess it's..._

_**"Gryffindor!"**_

The Hat was removed from Sirius's head. He grinned at James, gave him a thumbs up, and turned towards the Gryffindors. The Hall was strangely silent, until a few confused Gryffindors began to clap awkwardly. Sirius strutted past the Slytherin table, headed straight towards his red-and-gold clad housemates. He sat down, met eyes with his dumbstruck cousins, and waved. Some of the teachers looked at each other curiously before joining in the applause. Andromeda, who was seated at the Ravenclaw table, gave him a small wave.

A few more students were sorted, and Sirius paid little attention. He looked up curiously when 'Evans, Lily' was called to the front, wondering where the snooty little brat was going to be put. He groaned when the Hat shouted Gryffindor, and sneered at her as she passed.

Finally, Remus was called.

_Remus Lupin, eh? I've heard the teachers talking about you...you're the werewolf. The first one to attend Hogwarts, y'know. Hm..you're smart, there's no doubt about that...Ravenclaw, perhaps? Bravery...you show qualities of Gryffindor, also, you know. But which one?_

_**Just not Slytherin, please.**_

_No, you're not a Slytherin. I guess it'll be... _

**"Gryffindor!"**

Remus relaxed greatly when the Hat made his final decision. He sat down next to Sirius, grinning widely as the rest of his new housemates patted him on the back. The two sat through the rest of the sorting, waiting for James and Peter to be called.

"Pettigrew, Peter," McGonagall said finally.

Peter trembled as he made his way to the front. The hat was placed on his head, and he shivered when it began to speak to him.

_You show all the qualities of a Hufflepuff, you know..._

_**No, please, I have to be in Gryffindor...the rest of my friends are, I have to be!**_

_Are you sure? You're really not Gryffindor material, you know. There is bravery, deep inside your mind, but it will rarely show itself..._

_**I'll be braver, I promise! Just please, you have to put me in Gryffindor...**_

_Well, I can't argue with what's inside your heart..._

**"Gryffindor!"**

Peter rushed over to Sirius and Remus, collapsing with relief at the table.

"Merlin, what took so long? You were up there for ages!" Sirius whispered through his teeth. Peter shrugged, and turned back to watch James's sorting.

_James Potter...I see great things in your mind...Intelligent, very intelligent...However, you seem to be quite arrogant, Slytherin-like...Loyalty, much loyalty...and intense bravery...You seem to be every House rolled into one..._

_**Put me in Gryffindor or I'll scream.**_

_You'll scream, eh? Well, you should know that that won't affect me. I don't have ears, you see._

_**Put me in Gryffindor or I'll cut you up into tiny little pieces.**_

_You are very Slytherin-like, you know...But you are right, you're most definitely a_

**"Gryffindor!"**

_**Thank you!**_

_No problem, Potter. I expect great things from you._

James joined his friends at the Gryffindor table. They patted him on the back and clapped.

"How much of a coincidence is this?" Sirius yelled, amongst the clapping, "That the four of us all ended up together?"

James shrugged, "Pretty big one, actually," Peter gulped and turned back to the front.

The four whispered throughout the Sorting, only pausing when Severus Snape was called. The Hat barely touched his Head before screaming 'Slytherin', and James and Sirius chuckled.

"Good thing it was so short; he may have contaminated the thing with his greasy-ness," Sirius muttered, earning giggles from the surrounding students. Lily Evans glared at him before turning away.

Once the last student had been sorted, an old man stood to address everyone. He had long, auburn hair, and a matching beard, slightly streaked with grey. His robes were an odd shade of dark purple, with tiny stars and moons flitting across the sleeves. He looked over the tops of his spectacles and spoke.

"Welcome, students and teachers, to yet another year at Hogwarts. For those of you who don't know, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of this school. Before we begin stuffing our faces, let me just remind you that the entire set of Hogwarts rules is posted on our caretaker's office door, on the second floor. Any breaking of the rules will lead in loss of House points and possible detentions. Now, dig in!"

The plates on the table immediately filled with steaming foods. Peter looked around hungrily at all the choices, while James and Sirius immediately began piling food onto their plates. Remus was more mannered, and took small servings of food.

"Ish mazy!" James cried, mouth full of chicken, "Esh foo ev!"

Remus and Peter turned to Sirius for a translation.

"It's amazing; best food ever," he said, before he, too, took a large bite of a chicken leg.

Forty-five minutes later, when all the students had eaten their fill, the food disappeared.

"That was excellent!" Sirius exclaimed, wiping his face with a napkin, "D'ya think we'll eat like this every night?"

"No way," Remus replied, "The older students are too skinny; they'd have gained about a hundred pounds by now."

"He's got a point," James said, nodding, "They all look pretty average-sized."

"Yeah, but maybe it's magic food!" Peter suggested helpfully, "Like maybe there's no fat in it or anything?"

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but Dumbledore once again cleared his throat.

"Well, students, after that bit of delightful food, I must now bid you all a goodnight. Please, follow your House Prefects to your common rooms. But first, we shall all sing the school song. Join me, if you will, with any melody you wish!"

The entire school burst into a confused chorus, singing the words that had exploded from Dumbledore's wand. Each student sung a different tune, ending at different times. Everyone was giggling when it was over, as it had sounded completely dreadful.

"Beautiful, simply beautiful," Dumbledore exclaimed afterwards, "Now, Prefects, if you will..."

Two Gryffindors, a girl and a boy, stood up and began rounding up the Gryffindor first years.

"Come along, now," the girl said condescendingly, "Follow us to the common room!"

James mocked her snooty tone behind her back, causing a few other first years to chuckle softly.

The group followed the two upstairs and to a seemingly random painting of a very large woman.

"Password?" The woman questioned.

"Chrysanthemum," the girl stated.

The portrait swung open, revealing a large hole. The Prefects motioned for the First Years to climb through before following. They looked around in awe at the Gryffindor Common Room. Large, cushiony couches and chairs were arranged near a grand fire, and wooden tables and chairs were lined up against the opposite wall. The walls were painted a deep red, with gold wall hangings, and a Gryffindor Lion was displayed over the fireplace.

The girl Prefect clapped her hands together and smiled.

"Now, I thought we might introduce ourselves! I'm Sharon Green, and I'm a sixth year." She turned to her companion and poked him sharply in the arm.

"Ow! Er, I'm Arthur, Arthur Weasley, and I'm a fifth year."

Sharon Green turned to the first years.

"You start!"

A small, blonde girl jumped and flushed pink.

"I'm, er, Alice Matthews," She said nervously, looking at the ground.

A brunette girl was next: "Mary McDonald."

"Lily Evans."

"Remus Lupin."

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Sirius Black."

"James Potter."

Sharon grinned at the seven new students.

"Well, you're quite a small group this year, only seven of you. I do hope you'll keep up the Gryffindor tradition; we've won the House Cup every year for decades, and I'd quite like to keep it that way. So no mischief, and keep your grades up."

Sharon flounced off, leaving Arthur Weasley with the group.

"Alrighty then, boys, you dormitory will be up that way, and girls, you'll be up that way. No boys in the girl's dorms and visa versa. And try not to get in too much trouble while you're here. There are four Prefects total, including me and Sharon, and the Head Girl is a Gryffindor, also, so don't get caught doing anything stupid."

He grinned and waved them off.

Lily, Mary, and Alice all began chatting as they made their way up to the girls' tower. The four boys grinned at each other as they turned towards theirs.

"This is great!" Sirius exclaimed, "We're the only ones in the room, we've got all the space to ourselves!"

The other three glanced at each other.

"Sure," James said, before opening the door to their dorm.

**A/N:**Ok, so I had a bad case of writer's block. Still do, actually; this chapter is not like I planned. Hopefully it'll get better, though. Thanks for being patient!! I've been swamped with all my AP courses this year. And for anyone not in high school yet: Do not join marching band, NHS, Student Council, and attempt to ace four AP classes. It is not easy... :)

Amaranth


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